


Hallow's moon

by ichor (sbzpruiosnejre)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, Cassius Warrington/Simon Dedworth if you squint, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Feast, Hogwarts, Hogwarts 1993, Mild Language, Minor Swearing, Professor Remus Lupin, Slytherin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 03:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21264359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbzpruiosnejre/pseuds/ichor
Summary: Simon comes up with a little bit of Halloween entertainment for the gang. With Lupin out of the way, why not?





	Hallow's moon

The gang of boys stop dead at the Great Hall's doors.

"Merlin, he has to be kidding," Adrian mutters.

A row of pumpins with roots twisted into skinny bodies danced the cancan at the back of the room. Flitwick conducts the orchestra to the side of them.

"Snape looks like somebody's put troll snot in his underwear," Cassius snickers, wrapping an arm around Simon's shoulders to pull him in. They walk to the Slytherin table, not taking their eyes off of the monstrosity of today's 'entertainment'. "Halloween's such a fucking _muggle_ thing. Dumbledore has to put on the most ridiculous display every year. And why? So he can impress the little mudbloods?" Slouching down, he grabs some toast and slathers it with butter.

Simon watches the ordeal thoughtfully. "We could do something about it," he says.

"Like what?"

"Grab a bunch of mudbloods, give them pumpkins for heads and send them out there during the feast. We've got two days to prepare."

"How did you _ever_ get picked for prefect?" Lucian asks, shaking his head.

"For my empathy and creativity, obviously," Simon says drily. "What do you think?"

Adrian starts, "I think you're about as fit for prefect duties as--" but Cassius cuts across him: "It's not a bad idea. I reckon we could do it."

Head in hands, Peregrine ditches his own breakfast with a groan. "Snape's in a bad mood already. Any time Lupin's around he goes all sour-faced. Can we leave it for once?"

"Relax. It'll be fun. Lupin's ill anyway."

* * *

"Hey, Mina!" Cassius calls, jogging to catch up with their Gryffindor classmate. Ruth Mina looks over her shoulder, though she doesn't slow down. "I've got a message for you from Professor Flitwick. He needs volunteers for this Halloween do. People to hand out sweets." She looks doubtful, but nods - and with that she's gone. Probably doesn't trust him. He can't imagine why.

Meeting up with Lucian before Defence Against the Dark Arts, he checks on their progress. "Adrian got Haywood to agree, and Daisy Corran agreed before Simon even finished talking," Lucian informs him. "Three so far. If we want four to match the pumpkins, we'll have to figure out who else to pick."

Cassius gives it some thought. "What about that annoying snotbag, Creevey? Too young, maybe."

"Too young," agrees Lucian. "Hopkins?"

He grins. "Sure."

The class is called in, and Professor Lupin is absent once again. He has been for several days already, which leaves them - thankfully - with Snape. OWL preparation goes well enough until bloody Alicia Spinnet leans back in her seat and hisses over her shoulder, "What did you want with Ruth, Warrington?"

"Asked her out on a date. Jealous?" he shoots back.

"As if. You've been bullying her since first year."

"Take a hint: it's none of your business." He kicks her chair leg, sending her seat screeching as it jolts forward on the ground. Snape looks their way, but doesn't comment.

* * *

Saturday is uneventful - Simon spends the afternoon practising the Pumpkin-Head Jinx with Peregrine on one another, which earns them eye-rolls aplenty in the common room. Cassius sits down with Adrian and Lucian in a corner.

"I told Haywood it would happen just before the feast starts. Flitwick will meet them outside the doors to prepare them," Adrian reports.

He nods. "Instead, Peregrine and I'll meet them. Jinx them. Done."

"You make it sound so simple," Lucian snorts.

Grinning, Cassius leans forward. "It _is_. That's the beauty of it. Dedworth's practically a genius."

"You don't have to flaunt your crush everywhere, Warrington," Adrian grins. He's given a cool glare. "Suppose something goes wrong?"

"Why do you have to nitpick all the time?" he groans. "Nobody will be outside the Great Hall. Relax. Enjoy it. Act surprised when we shove them in."

"How are you going to manage _that_?" frowns Adrian.

Cassius shrugs, "Cheering Charms. Flitwick'll be so pleased we've done our homework."

* * *

Cassius walks with Peregrine from the dungeons to the Great Hall. As expected, the four muggleborn students - two Gryffindors, two Ravenclaws - mill about in the Entrance Hall. Daisy Corran, the smallest of them, despite being a fourth-year like Carl Hopkins, looks particularly nervous, twisting her robe sleeves in her hands. Beatrice Haywood's quiet reassurance is interrupted by their arrival.

"Where's Professor Flitwick, Warrington?" she demands.

"He's coming." Cassius smirks. "He told us to help you get ready."

Haywood somehow draws her wand before he does. They aim at one another.

"Just a simple charm. Relax." He's been saying that a lot lately. "Would I really be here with _just_ Derrick for company if I wanted a duel?"

She hesitates, clearly considering it.

"Exactly. I wouldn't. I like to have an audience when I hex your mudblood ass. _Melofors!_"

"_Finite!_"

Turning, Cassius finds himself face-to-face with Professor Lupin. He doesn't appear quite as ill as the week before, though the gaunt and pale face looks worse with tired bags beneath the man's eyes. His wand is in hand, clenched by white-knuckled fingers. Beside him, Alicia bloody Spinnet shoots him a smug smile.

"What part of 'none of your business' did you not get, Spinnet?" he asks calmly, lowering his own wand. "Really, professor, we've been setting up a surprise for the feast. Dumbledore tasked us with it. One of his--"

"Please," Lupin says softly, "don't treat me like an idiot, Mr Warrington." His gaze searches the four would-be victims. "You can go to the feast now. Professor Flitwick is unaware of your supposed participation - enjoy the entertainment from your own seats. Miss Spinnet, you as well, thank you." He waits until they open the doors and file in. Then his look becomes stern. "Attempting to humiliate your fellow students at a public event is a very serious matter. Targeting those with muggle heritage is a cause of concern on top of that. I'm disappointed in you both."

Peregrine genuinely looks abashed. Cassius jabs him in the side to remind him whose side he's on.

"That's enough. I can only imagine the damage you would have done had Miss Spinnet not--"

He interrupts quickly, "We were never going to _hurt_ them. It's just a jinx."

"You don't need to physically hurt somebody to cause damage." Lupin frowns at him. "A simple jinx can be the worst spell to use for some people. What if someone was allergic to pumpkin?"

"With the amount of pumpkin juice we get served, we would have heard about it by now," he retorts.

The frown deepens. "I'll be speaking to Professor Snape about your behaviour. I suggest you give it some serious thought before attempting to bully others. You're fifth-years - you should know better."

"Whatever you say, sir," says Cassius, brushing it off as he charges into the Great Hall. He glowers as he sits by his friends.

His mood sours further when Dumbledore's speech makes pointed reference to 'using tonight as an excuse to harm others'. By the time Snape serves them with detention, Cassius gives serious thought to finding a way to get back at Lupin.

**Author's Note:**

> Will this continue? Probably.


End file.
